Mary pondered many things in her heart, by guest author Connie Beckman

In the Gospel of St. Luke, it states, “But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke:2:19). This verse reveals so much about Our Blessed Mother and the way she handled the profound events in her life. How did she develop such a quiet and holy silence? Did this just come to her naturally?

From among the descendants of Eve, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of his Son. “Full of grace,” Mary is “the most excellent fruit of redemption” (SC 103): from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life. (CCC 508).

Mary must have spent much time in prayer, meditating on the holy words of God. The Holy Spirit began preparing her from the moment of her birth for the role she would play in the redemption of man.

She cooperated fully in God’s plan. By pronouncing her “fiat” at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body (CCC-973).

Jesus calls each of us to look to his mother as the perfect role model and the way to holiness in our lives. Numerous times during Jesus’ ministry, he sought a quiet place to pray to the Father. He teaches us the importance of spending time in quiet prayer and reflection. “Pondering these things in her heart” indicates Mary didn’t say a lot about the things that were happening in her life. But through studying the word of God as revealed to the prophets, she began to gain wisdom coupled with a profound humility and acceptance.

Many times when things begin to occur in my life, which I don’t fully understand or accept, I tend to react with a spill of needless words, which only helps to create more anxiety in my life. But when I reflect on how Mary “pondered these things in her heart,” it helps me more readily give up the needless words and to spend time in the quiet presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament that I can begin, like Mary to ponder things in my heart. It is during this quiet time that the peace of Jesus enters my heart. In this grace-filled silence I more readily begin to respond to situations rather than react.

The more I reflect and read about Mary’s life through Scripture, Marian books and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the more I desire to imitate her humility and purity in my own life. Our Blessed Mother’s role is a simple but profound one: She brings us closer to her son, Jesus, intercedes for us  as she teaches us to quietly ponder things in our heart.

Connie Beckman resides in Helena, Montana, with her husband and their four cats and dog. She is an active member of the Cathedral of St Helena, the Catholic Writer's Guild and a  Catholic writers group in Helena. She is a former editor and feature story writer for a bi-weekly newspaper and has been published in many Catholic magazines. Her desire as a writer is to encourage Catholic spiritual growth by sharing the truths of the Catholic faith through the written word, addressing a variety of subjects. Connie shares her joy and love of God at  Connie’s Catholic Corner.